Information taken from studies on adult MDD may actually be detrimental if not properly filtered because it will give researchers inaccurate expectations of how children may respond to causal factors and treatments alike. Therefore information will be collected from studies which have specifically focused on childhood depression. This literature will help to identify a wide spectrum of causal factors, as well as some correlating factors, and a quick survey of treatment options. However, the focus of the review of literature will be on the direct causal factors and factors which will predisposition children to major depressive disorder.

             In order for childhood depression to be properly diagnosed and treated, the predispositioning and causal factors must be understood. The literature review will show that these factors are an integral part of how and why depression manifests in children. Further original research will be conducted to identify how widespread the lack of knowledge regarding the causes and symptoms of childhood depression may be. Additionally, the proposed research will identify further causal factors and symptoms that may be correlated to childhood depression which may not have been thoroughly covered by the material in the review of literature. From this research, further clarity may be drawn on the causal and predispositioning factors of childhood depression, as well as the ways in which depression may manifest itself in children and the lasting effects this may have on the affected child.

             This study is intended to help provide guidelines for future research and development in the field of child depression and MDD. The literature review and findings from the original survey research that will be conducted are delimited by the fact that they are not being performed for the purpose of gathering conclusive evidence. The proposed research and survey will give an overview of the current state of academic knowledge on this subject, as well as an overview of the experiences of individuals who have experienced childhood depression first- or second-hand.